It was 2005 and I had worked hard to attain what I considered a fairly successful job at a great university supporting veterinary services and training. I remember visiting a friend in Atlanta that summer and thinking to myself “well, this is it!” As I sat waiting for a business plan template to download, I had the realization that starting this new adventure would require me to leave behind the work that I knew and loved.

The true origin of ACTS can be traced back to my first year out of vet school when a well-meaning lady in my church asked me to fill in for the director of the youth program. I had no experience and little to offer, but I was willing. And after a few weeks, something unexpected happened – the kids started showing up on time. Not only that, they started asking me questions (some of which I thought were better suited for their parents) and I realized that I was actually relating to them! It wasn't long before I knew something bigger was happening – a sense of fulfillment I had never experienced before. It soon became clear that training was a natural extension of something that was at my core. I had the ability to support growth and development in people by helping them understand things that were important to them.

Starting a business was never my goal, but it ended up being the path that made the most sense if I wanted to pursue my passion.

And what better place to start than the animal care community that I knew and loved?

In 2007, ACTS became an official company and our first contract was executed in early 2008. Those days were exhilarating. We all have dreams, big and small, and I can honestly say that ACTS was, and still is, a dream come true. It kept me awake at night and got me up early in the morning. Even when the bills were coming in faster than the money, I knew that this was exactly where I was supposed to be.

I was fortunate to have lots of support in the beginning. My good friend Paula Clifford was an essential part of getting ACTS off the ground, and we would not be where we are today without her optimism and vision. She has since moved on to other opportunities, but will always be considered a part of the ACTS family. In addition to Paula, I’ve had the pleasure to partner with numerous others who have added so much value to our organization. ACTS is definitely a team effort and I’m grateful to get to work alongside so many bright and committed individuals.

For the past 10 years, ACTS has been serving the lab animal community with management and species-specific training, as well as providing certification courses and consulting services. It still overwhelms me to think that it all started with a dream to help others. It wasn't always easy, and I still cringe at the thought of my first training seminar and how little I was prepared! There have been failures – many of them – but with the support of many, along with a commitment to our mission, I have never lost sight of why this work matters.

If we don’t do what we are doing, there’s a chance that no one else will.

My guiding principle has been that people matter most and that drives everything that I do and is at the center of what our consultants believe. How can we help our clients get just a little bit better every day? I shared that thought while recently giving a talk in Australia and found myself getting choked up. Who would have thought that a punky little kid from West Philly (emphasis on the little) would ever start a company training people that work with animals AND that company would be the vehicle for him to travel around the world to share that message? People matter most.

Should we have the fortune and grace to still be relevant in another 10 years I am confident that our mission will remain the same. It never hurts to dream!

There is profound beauty in the simple. A lone flower bursting through an early spring snowfall; a flock of geese flying south for the winter; or a single rose on an otherwise ordinary bush. The power of simplicity should never be overlooked - some of the most lasting and powerful messages are conveyed through simple means.

When designing presentations for any size audience, from 1 to 1000+, the ability to communicate important (even complex) information in a simple way can be extremely powerful. I’m the first to admit my tendency to make a presentation “intellectual or slick” in an attempt to impress an audience. However, I have learned over time that my attempts come up short when I neglect to keep it simple. Sure, I may have used big words and impressive charts and graphs, and even threw in a few timely and sometimes humorous anecdotes. But, in the end, did they walk away with the key information I was trying to relay? Probably not.

What I have found is that for me to be at my best and to convey powerful messages, I have to keep it simple.

What are the 3-4 points that I want my audience to take home? Too many points can make it difficult for me, and the audience, to stay focused.

What is the best image or case that I can use to convey each of those points? Find something that they connect to – make it stick!

Can I create a compelling story that reinforces my points and leaves a lasting impression? Identify why it’s important and why they should care.

Whether I’m giving a keynote presentation or explaining to my five-year-old why she has to clean up after she plays, the same principals apply.

If the goal is to be profound, to say words or convey ideas that will make the deepest impact, we must keep it simple.

Here's a few tips to get the most out of your staff for Tech Week and all year long!

1. Spend time with your staff.Whether it’s stopping by their office to say hello or scheduling a team lunch, make a point to spend intentional time with your team.

2. Invest in their career development.Incorporate flexible training opportunities to encourage growth and development among your staff. Invite them to a one-time training session or provide a link to an online webinar – it makes them feel valued when you invest in them as an individual.

3. Brag on their successes.Do you have a bulletin board in a high-traffic area? Consider creating a team spotlight section to highlight the accomplishments (big and small) of your staff members. A little goes a long way when it comes to public recognition!

4. Be their advocate.Look for opportunities to support your team, especially when it comes to dealing with outside departments and leadership. Make it known that you’ve got their back!

5. Listen to them and seek their input. In a large organization, it can be difficult to have a voice. Create a forum to collect input from your staff – for tech week or all year round! And be prepared to respond or take action – nothing is worse than feedback falling on deaf ears.

6. Have fewer formal meetings.Meetings often feel like a necessary evil. Review the calendar and clean house: cut unnecessary meetings, aim for 30 minute blocks instead of an hour, or consider a biweekly schedule instead of weekly! Try implementing a five-minute stand-up meeting for quick updates.

7. Get to know your staff.Be sure to engage with others on a personal level – whether it’s starting off a staff meeting with a personal story or taking the time to recognize employee birthdays, make it personal.

8. Set clear expectations.Let them know exactly what you want from them. Make sure they have the skills and training to fulfill those expectations, and give them the space and opportunity to demonstrate what they know.

9. Stop spending money to endear trust and loyalty.Instead of expensive extracurricular activities, find out what motivates your staff – you may find that it won’t cost you anything!

10. Encourage Small Wins.Provide opportunities for your staff to grow in their daily roles and tasks. Small consistent steps can lead to accomplishing big goals.

As you look to the coming year and start setting goals for your staff, it is vital to incorporate ongoing opportunities for learning and development. Not only does this benefit the individual by keeping them motivated and feeling valued, it also benefits the organization by improving the overall quality of the team and services you provide. While it's easy to focus on timelines and budget, remember to take a step back and evaluate your resources; from quantity to quality, maximizing resources is one goal that should be on everyone's list!

At ACTS, we are committed to providing high-quality training to animal care professionals around the world. In addition to in-person training, we now offer virtual options through our online platform ACTS Academy. We would love to help you incorporate ACTS into your 2018 Goals. Click here for a free assessment to identify specific areas where your team could use additional development. One of our representatives will respond with a free consultation for you and your team.

Recently, I’ve had a recurring thought. It doesn’t exactly keep me up at night, but it does pop into my mind periodically, forcing me to stop and give it my full attention. The thought? Well, it’s really more of a question: What if compliance isn’t enough?

It may surprise you to know that the origin of this thought didn’t come from a heavy debate in an IACUC meeting discussing the continued failure of an institution to meet regulatory requirements. Ironically, it was born out of a discussion with a group of friends hashing out the importance of…wait for it…The 10 Commandments.

As I recall, I didn’t have much to contribute to the conversation, but I did find myself in agreement with the view that obeying all ten commandments is a “good thing.” But then it hit me -- some of the most unloving people I know pride themselves on being bible-toting ‘commandment keepers.’ The effort is there, but something is definitely missing. Maybe compliance alone isn’t enough, after all!

I began to consider some of the organizations I partner with. What if we’ve been so focused on compliance, that we are missing the bigger picture? What if compliance is just the minimum standard and we should be targeting something a bit loftier?

Is it possible to have a USDA site visit with no findings (which, for the record is a great thing) but still have issues with animal care and welfare?

What if full accreditation from AAALAC is just the beginning for your organization, rather than the ultimate goal?

What I discovered in the conversation with my friends is probably true in any situation. When you discuss compliance, you delve into the nuances of the law, often focusing on the trees and not seeing the forest. It’s easy for anyone to get caught up in the formalities of rules and regulations, but how do we move beyond compliance to those places that really matter most?

I don’t think the answer is simple, but I do think it’s something we can work toward. What is most important? Being thoughtful about what is important to us personally, as a team, and as an organization will inform how we manage and influence culture in our work space and how we train others to work in these spaces. What are we really trying to accomplish – compliance or changing the world?

Compliance isn’t the end game, it’s a step along the way toward continuous improvement: getting a little bit better every day.

So here it is, the secret sauce, the pièce de résistance, the holy grail, the alpha and omega, the lynchpin, the one thing in our quest to get a little better every day (if you’re not sitting down, you should be)… practice. That’s right, practice. Good habits are fortified with good practice.

I suspect you might be a bit skeptical as I was, but here’s the thing… it’s true. In any area of our lives where we aspire to be better professionally or personally, practice will play a role in our achievement.

Real World ExamplesIf we start from a place of familiarity, I think we can move into more abstract spaces of understanding while retaining the application.

A little kid wants to play the violin just like Itzhak Perlman or Lucia Micarelli, two amazingly talented musicians. There are three fundamental things they need to do: get a violin, get a good teacher, practice, and then perform. This is no guarantee they will achieve the level of success of either Micarelli or Perlman, but it sure puts them in a position for the best success possible.

A young man wants to impress his sweetheart on Valentine’s Day with a decadent chocolate soufflé prior to asking for their hand in marriage. He doesn’t cook, but it will mean so much if he could make this as a testament of his love. He goes online, finds a recipe that he believes he can follow, purchases the ingredients, and gives it a go. First round results…inedible. Second round… inedible but the dog liked it. (I know dogs shouldn’t eat chocolate, but his dog took one for the team). Third round… pretty good and mom was impressed. Mom’s can be tough critics. Fourth round… the sweetheart said yes and loved the soufflé!

We can’t get from here to there without practice.

In the VivariumA technician starts a new job. We run them through the training gauntlet putting them in a mock room for a few weeks or have them work on studies or projects that are just for their learning. And, when they reach a level of success in practice then we release them to “impress their sweetheart.”

A new manager starts managing the same group she has worked with for 10 years. We run her through the training gauntlet by sending her to a management training school where they take her through the most common scenarios that will be experienced as a manager. After achieving a level of competence, she is released to manage her new direct reports.

A senior executive looks at her staff and sees a 25 year difference in their faces. She doesn’t know them or their frame of references, but wants to. She retains an executive coach that understands her specific growth needs and together they start an intense dive in developing skills and understanding that will allow her to better interact and lead her team. She accepts a volunteer position in her church to work with the young adults to hone the skills she is learning with her coach. Five years later during her retirement dinner, her staff thank her for taking the time to get to know them and for leading them so well.

The Key to Managing WellWithout practice, none of it will work. Great resources, great instruction, a great coach, and even great passion will get us not get us there without practice.

Maybe you think you don’t have time to practice because of your busy schedule. I will tell you that because you have so much going on you have to take the time to practice. Getting better in real time is hard and, in most cases, it doesn’t happen well. If we want to have continued success, we must be committed to practice.

In my office space, we look to create processes that are sustainable and reflect the best way to perform routine tasks. We look at how we utilize our space and ask are we creating products and programs that aren’t being utilized. Because we do a lot of flexing based on customer’s need, we don’t create such rigid processes that prevent us from meeting their need. That said, we still find great value in the premise that we can “find a better way every day,” as the late, great Jack Welch always said.

I know there are many programs within the animal care community that have formally and publicly embrace “Lean Culture” and I am sure there are many more that are interested in giving it a try. In full disclosure, I am not a formal lean practitioner, but I completely believe in and have develop a mindset of “better everyday.”

What I want to do is create a compelling case for the adoption of a culture of continuous improvement in those areas of your work where it makes most sense. If the idea of lean is not for you, consider how you and your team can embrace the basic concept that all of us have the capacity to get a little better every day.

On any given day, there is a lot of work to be done and often with limited resources or time to get it done. How are you going to get it all accomplished in ways that are most productive without driving yourself and your team to exhaustion and frustration?

The pace of innovation is blistering. Our ability to recognize when improvement is needed is critical to our success, the success of our organization and the advancement of science that is good and life-saving. And, if that’s not reason enough… all of the cool kids are doing it.

Question EverythingA culture of continuous improvement allows you the permission to stop and look at what is really happening in the office or the animal facility and ask a few simple but profound questions.

What works?

What doesn’t work?

What works but takes to long to get done?

What works but we don’t need to be doing any more?

What’s not working but should be?

What are we trying to get to work that should be eliminated?

The process isn’t easy. Being honest about what you do well and not so well is a challenge. Looking for ways to improve when things are going pretty good is equally challenging.

However, this is the privilege of the corner office: looking for ways to improve the people and processes around you. What can you do today that will help you and your team get just a little bit better?

Lately I have been thinking about athletes that manage to perform at greater levels even as they get “older” (whatever that means). What is the secret, how do you manage to improve when you are at the top of your game? Across the board, when asked they say taking care of their bodies and continuing to work on the game. Athletes that are great at what they do practice all the time and not just before game day. And they practice the basics of the game as well as the nuances of the game and they practice winning. And most practice with a trainer, someone with the knowledge that can guide them through the development and perfection of their skill and mental toughness. Athletes this committed always play to win, even when they know they can. Winning is never a surprise because that is the plan…to win. And as they continue to improve they expect to win.

What does that mean for you? Quite simply, if you want to be successful in whatever you do you have to train, and you have to work on getting better at the basics and in the nuances. Although I have never read the book I am reminded of the title, “What got you here, won’t get you there”. Something different, and I would say better, needs to happen to keep you in “the game” and winning. Here are three things worth considering as you aspire to perform at greater levels. You must take care of your body, (that’s right – if you’re not in good health what good are the great skills and talent you have finely honed). You must get someone to help because we all need help as we strive to get a bit better every day and in every way. You must expect to win and you must celebrate your winning.

Think about what you do while at work and let’s assume for the sake of this article that you love what you do. Have you gotten any better at what you do since you started the job… I would suspect that you have. And your improvement happened through very focused and deliberate effort. No matter what your job there will be parts that come easy while other equally important parts will require more effort to become successful. At some point, you have sought after the advice and counsel of a trusted colleague to help you navigate through a tricky spot. Have you resisted a heavy lunch because you knew you had a busy afternoon and didn’t want to get sluggish, so you went for the salad with grilled chicken over the burger and fries? And you have won. You’ve had great meetings, made great hires and met personal and organizational goals in addition to many other successes.

The trick is to keep doing those things and when you need more (whether for an eating plan that will ensure more focused energy or acquiring additional training, certifications and coaching) seek it out. At some point, winning will get tough again and when it does you want to be able to stare it down and be prepared to win again.

Below is my first article for ALN Magazine. This has been reposted with permission.

Welcome to The Corner Office.

This column is for all of us sitting in that proverbial corner office with its big windows and private bathroom and have struggled, succeeded and sometimes failed at providing the leadership necessary for our success and that of our staff.

Trying to get it right all the time is quite the ambitious undertaking and should be attempted with caution. That said, getting it right is actually what we are called to do as we sit in our “corner office.”

Collectively, getting it right on a granular level might look different for each of us, however at 30,000 feet getting it right really looks the same; providing quality animal care and welfare, expert support of research initiatives and the growth and development of those who report to us.

For the purpose of this column, we are going to stay at 30,000 feet considering the areas of training (learning and development) critical to assisting us in leading our staff to success. I have been told that very simple principles and tools repeatedly practiced can have a huge effect closer to “the ground”—where the real work also happens. Let’s see if that’s true.

A Different PerspectiveHave you ever been on a flight with a mountain of work you were planning to get done? Often, this is the only opportunity for some uninterrupted time. Well, on this trip we are going to get that mountain of work done, but first let’s take some time to look out of the window.

What I hope we see at this height is perspective. Things do look quite different when we take a step back. If we want to have any impact on what happens on the ground, there are a few things we can do at this level to achieve personal success and the success of our staff.

Inspired by those of us that sit in the corner office and want to do good work and dedicated to those who aspire to sit in the corner office, let’s take this journey together and get some perspective at 30,000 feet.

I was planning on writing a short article about habits and how to create good habits. I have been reading a great book titled: The Power of Habit – Why we do what we do and how to change by Charles Duhigg. But instead of talking specifically about habits, which I will address later, I want to talk about “Will Power” and how it influences habits.

What does will power have to do with habits? Let’s say you want to change your habit of getting a sweet treat at the end of the day when you are feeling a little bored. Some days you have great success and end your day feeling good about not having that sweet treat. Then there are days when you have polished off a coffee packed with sugar and a mid size bag of M & M’s with peanuts (yum). But now you feel bad because you fell back into your bad habit.

Studies have been shown that will power, when nurtured and encouraged, can influence our habits. But how do you build will power, and how does any of this really help in our ability to deliver great services to the people we work with and the animals we care for?

If at the end of the day you tend to go for a sweet treat and you want to stop, you have to come up with an alternative to the treat that gives you the same sense of satisfaction. For example, maybe instead of getting that treat you take a break for 5 to 10 minutes - talk with a coworker or take a walk through the building. To strengthen your resolve you remove all candy and sweets from your office. On day 1 you have a great meeting with your boss to start the day and then you have excellent outcomes on the clinical cases you have been managing. Come mid afternoon when you get that nudge, you quickly shake it off by going for a little walk in the court yard of your building and you return to work refreshed and whistling a tune. On day 2 you get to work late, your boss gives you some bogus assignment and you have a contentious meeting with the husbandry manager, not sure how you maintained the little bit of professionalism you had left. Come mid afternoon and that nudge hits you hard, you pop up from your desk and go for a walk - to the nearest convenience store and grab 2 bags of M & M’s! Ugh!!! What happened? Here’s what happened: On day 1 things went well and you didn’t have to dig into your will power much at all. On day 2 the situation was much different from the start and late in the day your supply of will power was empty so you fell back to a habit that was as familiar and comfortable as breathing. Interesting how we often fall into bad habits at the end of the day or after high stress situations.

What if the habit you need to change is that you have a short fuse with people at the end of a long day. Or maybe it’s hitting that snooze button one time too many just to get those few extra minutes of sleep. Fortified will power says that even when I am at my weakest point I will still choose to do the right thing. Depleted will power says that at my weakest point all bets are off.

Here are 3 takeaways:

1. Make a conscious decision to develop good habits so your default actions will tend to be good.

2. Practice the discipline of will power; create a plan/strategy for how you will handle those movements when you are tempted to fall back into a habit that is counter-productive.

3. If you manage people, think of their habits that are less than ideal. What can you do to foster an environment where their will power remains strong throughout the course of the day?

So much more to talk about here so be on the lookout for a follow up to this on our website or my LinkedIn page.

In our last blog post, we talked about giving back. As a follow up, I think it might be helpful now to briefly discuss how we stay filled up so we always have something to give.

“I know I’m filled to be emptied again, the seed I receive I will sow.” These are the lyrics to I song I heard recently, and I continue to be convicted by the truth in them. The premise being that we are at our best when we are giving. But if we are constantly giving, do we at some point run out with nothing left to give? Can’t have that, - if I am empty I can’t give you anything. If I see all that I have as a limited resource that is too precious to part with, I may be extremely reserved on how I give it away. I will fear that what I put out might be too hard to get back, or that the person I give to may not appropriately use what I give them.

How are we filled? I believe we are filled most literally by our desire to learn, to be open to knowledge, always building on what we already know, and generously sharing what we have learned or experienced. It creates a flow in our lives, a space and a process of giving and receiving.

A person committed to giving back, must be committed to learning – keeping our cup full. What are we doing to stay fresh, timely and relevant? What are we reading? What are we thinking about? What actions are we practicing that will keep us filled up? I think there may be a temptation among those of us that are a bit busy to be so busy that we are neither doing anything new nor are we learning anything new. If we want to be good at giving we should probably be good at getting filled up. As those lyrics constantly remind me, my purpose for being filled is to give. So in all of my giving I can’t neglect the importance of staying well read, relevant and fresh so that the seeds I sow have the best chance of finding a good place to grow.

Tell us what you are doing to get “filled up.” What are you reading? What are you thinking about? What actions are you perfecting? We would love to hear from you and have you share with all of our readers. You may give us all some great new ideas on how to fill our cup.

How are you giving back? What plans are we putting in to place to insure the accomplishments of our efforts are sustained long after we are no longer on the scene? What plans and actions are we setting into motion to insure those that work for us have the best chance to excel at their current job and then possibly find success in other endeavors?

During the month of February, we in the US recognize the accomplishments of African Americans, both famous and not so famous, for the pioneering work they have done and continue to do in all walks of life.

I title this “Giving Back” because I think of how fortunate I have been in my life to know that others like me have made it possible to achieve and believe I could be and do whatever I put my mind to. We all have different people and life experiences that have helped in both big and small ways to place us on our current path. I am grateful for them all. Yet many will never know how they touched and impacted my life. So I pay it forward…….

Giving back is my way of saying thank you to all those, independent of ethnic origin, whom have contributed to the success I continue to achieve in my life.

And here is what giving back looks like for me:

Mentoring students and professionals as they navigate through career choices.

Training a younger generation how to be a great leader.

Lecturing in high schools and colleges, sharing my passion for the field of laboratory animal medicine.

Keeping an attitude that is upbeat and positive. Someone may follow my lead and I would like it to lead them in a great direction.

Contributing time and resources to my alma maters.

So how can you give back? What opportunities are just within your reach where can you share your gifts, talents and optimism? It need not be grand or worthy of praise and accolade. At home or at work, who is benefiting the most from your accomplishments?

We may never go to the moon or break the sound barrier in a Prius but we can have a positive life changing impact on others.

- If any of this resonated with you please feel free to share how you are giving back or even ways in which others have given back to you.

The following notes were captured from the keynote presentation by Bill Hybills, Senior Pastor at Willow Creek Community Church during the Global Leadership Summit. In some cases I have expounded on some of the points discussed because of how deeply they resonate with me and where I am in my life.

Your leadership matters, taking the time to develop your leadership skills is critical for you and for those you lead.

We all have the capacity to lead; we must learn how to do it well. (Instinct is natural, proper execution is learned)

Leaders engage those they lead

Leaders move people from one place to another

A good leader recognizes people need to know how much you care before you tell them how much you know.

Several critical functions of leadership were discussed during the introduction, which are bulleted below:

Leaders demonstrate humility

Leaders are not afraid to ask themselves and have others ask them tough questions.

Humility is essential for good leadership

Leaders are constantly learning and achieving more

Leaders cast vision for their team

Leaders build teams and great teams always start with “who” before “what”.

The 5 Intangibles of Leadership – This was the heart of his presentation. Good leaders will posses these qualities. Good leaders who don’t possess these qualities will learn them.

1. Grit...Not hominy. Passion and perseverance, using up your effort to the end, not leaving any reserves in the tank. Play when hurt, play hard, play to win. This is the stuff that makes for good leaders.

Think about The Little Engine That Could (a popular childhood story that has such lasting implications throughout our lives). Against all odds that little train had purpose, passion and committed to a great vision (getting those toys to the kids on the other side of the hill). That little train had GRIT!

I think I Can, I think I Can, I think I Can up, the hill he went...... Hit the top and on the way down he said, "I thought I could, I thought I could."

You will get predictably more out the efforts you undertake when you, like the that little train, chant I think I can, I think I can. Then the sweet release to come down that other side of that hill...I knew I could, I knew I could.

The kids over the mountain need those toys... What is your goal, what is driving your passion? What’s on the other side of that mountain for you. Grit expects and demands difficulty. Good leaders don’t just get one hill, they get many hills one after the next. Beware of ease. You have to will yourself to task achievement both mentally and physically. Push your ability on the job push, your body off the job. Ease is the enemy of Grit. It's grit that gets the toys over the mountain!

2. Self awareness (Discover your blind spots) – what’s keeping you from breaking free. Find out what is driving your decisions. How does your past influence decisions you make today, particularly if your decisions don’t drive you toward great results.

Blind Spots- where are my blind spots. You think you are great in certain areas but everyone knows the opposite. All leaders have blind spots. Unfortunately, you and I are blind to our blind spots! You need help to discover them. Will you let those trusted few around you tell you where your blind spots are? Once identified, you can place blind spots in your weakness category. Weakness category – that list of attributes where you know you don’t excel. Some you will work on to improve while others you will allow others to compensate. You must get input from others. They must be candid and caring. “Where do I suck that I don't know about.” This is for your good as a leader. Everyone will win as you become more aware. The toys have to get over the mountain

3. Resourceful. Finding ways to get things done.Are you curious, a lover of learning and flexible? If so you most likely are a resourceful leader.

Read the biography of the Wright brothers. Failure after failure after failure until you figure it out. Single focus on something that needs to be done but isn't easy. They didn’t do what they did for money or fame; they did it because they believed it could be done.

What are real problems in your organization? What needs to be done that won’t promise you tenure or an office with a door or a window? Do it: and remember you are that leaders that doesn’t need to do it on your own. You have people around you waiting for you to release their grit on your greatest challenge. Let them help!

4. Self sacrificing love...The exploits of King David's mighty men of valor are captured in the Bibles 2nd book of Samuel chapter 23. David sees that these men aren’t following him because David is a great man or leader, they are following him because they share the same hunger and passion. And David realizes that the things that he couldn't do on his own, together with these men they accomplish amazing things. David’s response is to love these men, the men he knows God has placed around him. Invest in those around you, honor them for they will be to you all that your heart desires. They are your gift. You will never get to those “kids” by yourself. Love those people that help you get there. Forget the professional posture that we easily put on. Love the people that are helping you succeed. Love the people that got you there. King David reminds us to love the God that put us where we are. “This is not the picture of the world’s leadership. “

Where is the love from those that lead you? That’s not the right question to ask. If you don't see it then you better bring it because nothing else matters. Because love never fails; it always makes things better. Who loved you on your way up, who took the time to make you feel valued, who propelled you to do more and love more and be better? People matter most (my favorite quote). What will you do with them? Love them over and over and over again. As a leader, you have to be okay with being vulnerable. You will find success at a level you have never experienced when you can say goodbye to the ego that would keep you isolated and afraid to those people around you.

5. Create a sense of meaning. What is your why. What is in your top box, that thing that drives you? Do you need to reevaluate what's in your top box? Your “why” may be greater and bigger than the thing you do or the product you make. Your why can change over time and that's okay. What drives you to get better and better

I’ve discovered my why and it’s about you. How can I help make you better....that is my why!

A fuzzy why, a limp why, someone else's why, no why at all, no worries. Take the time to discover your why. It will make all the difference in the world.

Your leadership matters. Across industry across disciplines across religion across races, across genders and generations, “your” leadership matters! There are so many “kids waiting on the other side of that mountain” for their toys.

A key towards consistency!

by Melinda Brun

A Post Approval Monitoring (PAM) liaison or auditor can obtain information a number of ways while conducting PAM activities. Information can be gathered through discussions, reviewing documents and databases, as well as observations of activities and conditions. Information gained from observations is important in determining the quality of an audit, improving the program, and ensuring regulatory requirements are met. This session will evaluate what to look for and questions to ask when conducting PAM activities. Also the session will focus on how to achieve objective observation skills while monitoring.

Come meet Melinda and other experts at the Age of Auditing Symposium on Feb. 3-4, 2015.

Academic medical centers have traditionally relied on the pharmaceutical industry to perform preclinical studies for new drugs because of the tremendous resources required for FDA-regulated work. However,industry sponsors are now demanding more preclinical work from academic scientists before entering partnerships fordrug development. The result of this shift is an increased demand for FDA-regulated preclinical studies that are compliant with regulations for Good Laboratory Practices (GLP). By establishing in-house GLP testing facilities, academic centers can streamline drug development and perform studies at a much lower cost than contracting work with outside labs. Implementation of a GLP-compliant program, however, is fraught with challenges. Even the newest animal care facilities may not be properly equipped for GLP compliance, and animal care staff are frequently unaccustomed to the increased scrutiny and documentation that are required by the FDA. This session will review the FDA requirements for GLP-compliant animal studies, and discuss the current challenges in preparing for FDA audits and training staff to work in a GLP environment.

A standard based on a strong customer focus, involvement of top management, and continual improvement.

by Pam Huber

The Laboratory Animal Science industry is very familiar with the Association for Assessment and Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC), but what is the International Standards Organization (ISO) and what role does ISO Certification play in enhancing quality programs?

This session will explain how ISO 9001:2008 Certification and the ISO Standard enhance and complement a quality program, facilitate customer site audits, and much more.

Research Laboratory Security Risks

by John Sancenito

Anti-research movements, including animal rights and environmental extremists, pose a serious threat to animal research laboratories. This session will focus on evaluating risk based on physical security measures, policies and procedures, and practices in the research facility setting. The primary goal of the presentation will be to:

Identify internal and external security risks to research laboratories;

Identify potential liability or risk to employees, visitors, the general public and organizational mission;

Evaluate the key areas where risk can be mitigated, including physical barriers, security technology, staff responsibilities, and policies and procedures

Topics to be discussed include:

The goals, tactics, trends, ideology and methodology of anti-research groups and the threat to medical research laboratories.

Vigilance in protecting animal welfare and maintaining fully compliant animal care programs is more important than ever.

by Alan Dittrich

Biomedical research with animals is regulated at the Federal, state and sometimes the municipal levels. Laws that affect animal research attempt to codify the minimum acceptable level of animal care and use as well as to protect human health and safety. They are implemented within research organizations in order to earn the privilege of working with animals. Research organizations occasionally must adapt to incremental changes in those laws.But now a whole new gathering of forces is at work trying to bring about much more dramatic changes in the legal situation for research with animals. In the State House and in the courtroom, legislators and attorneys are acting in new ways to minimize or even end the use of animals in research by creating high or insurmountable legal barriers.

If these new efforts are successful, animal research could either stop or relocate. The first could be devastating to knowledge and health; the second would create a whole new set of auditing challenges. And even if neither of these extreme situations occurs, opening the door for animal cruelty charges against researchers, allowing private right of action and aesthetic injury claims against research organizations, implementing “do no harm” laws would all have the effect of significantly changing the auditor’s work.

How these changes will impact animal care programs is unclear at this point. What is clear though is the ever increasing need for vigilance in protecting animal welfare and maintaining fully compliant animal care programs that meet or even exceed best practices. Managing animal care programs is a collaborative effort involving the veterinary staff, animal care staff, quality assurance auditors and the IACUC. Robust internal and external auditing programs as well as formal post approval monitoring programs are critical elements to successfully navigating the challenges of the increasingly more complex regulatory and legal environments that impact the biomedical research community.

We will review some proposed laws and recent court cases. Animal law – often practiced as animal rights law – is one of the fastest growing sections of the bar in the US, and with more lawyers come more cases, more novel legal theories and a greater need for animal research organizations to be “legally” alert. And, as both a cause of and a result of changing human/animal relations, the legislative landscape for animal research is changing, too.

Some of the possible areas of discussion: challenges to the constitutionality of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act; use of Endangered Species designations to remove animals from research settings; animal cruelty charges against research organizations and researchers; novel theories such as legal personhood for animals and the cases that come from it; “do no harm” bills; mandatory “adoption” bills; private cause of action for animal cruelty bills; open records laws; and others.

Don't miss this and more at the Age of Auditing Symposium on February 3-4, 2015 at the ACE Conference Center in Lafayette Hills, PA.

An opportunity to learn from the experience of our neighbors

by Emi Yano

Designing an auditing program for animal research in any scenario is challenging. Multiple and diverse factors, from regulatory requirements to research culture to resources, need to be considered in the process. This session will give the Canadian perspective of regulatory auditing, focusing on the creation and implementation of a post-approval monitoring program at one of Canada’s largest universities.

Don't miss this and more at the Age of Auditing Symposium on February 3-4, 2015 at the ACE Conference Center in Lafayette Hills, PA.

Who We Are

William Singleton, DVM, ACLAM, Dipl.

A board certified laboratory animal veterinarian having over 15 years
experience working in the laboratory animal field. He has over 7 years
experience in the development and implementation of training programs in
the pharmaceutical industry and academic institutions. William is an
active member of the laboratory animal community and professional
organization that promotes the health and well being of research
animals. His strong passion and vision for quality training has been
part of the driving force behind the creation of ACTS.

Paula Clifford, MLA, RLATG, CVT.

Paula Clifford strongly believes in the empowerment of the individual
through knowledge resulting in the highest quality of care and use for
research animals. She has fourteen years experience in the laboratory
animal science industry, the last ten focused on developing,
implementing, providing, and assessing training programs in support of
animal based biomedical research. Paula has a Masters of Liberal Arts
from the University of Pennsylvania. Her graduate work focused primarily
in training program evaluation for animal care and use programs. She
obtained her Bachelors degree from Rutgers College, and an Associate’s
Degree in Applied Science (for Veterinary Technology) from Camden County
College. She is currently a licensed veterinary technician and AALAS
Certified as a Registered Laboratory Animal Technologist. In 2009, she
was recognized for her contributions to training in the laboratory
animal science field at National AALAS by being awarded the Collins
award. She is an active member of many organizations that promote
education.

Our promise is to engulf your work environment in optimism and empower creative thinking, while taking your staff on a journey to achieving their highest potential.